Bay Village City Hall reception area in new location

Visitors to City Hall can now find a quicker point of contact to Bay Village government offices with the move of the reception area to the lobby by the front entrance.

Service Director Scott Thomas said the move of the reception area from the second floor was completed last week. There is a clear-glass partitioned area left over from when building department staffers were located in an office which is on the left as visitors entered City Hall. A receptionist, who previously sat at a desk in the middle of the second floor near the steps that led from the lobby upstairs, now can greet people from the partitioned area as they enter the building. The building department reception area remains at the end of the hallway on the first floor, where it was moved when the department was privatized as part of several moves by the city to tighten the city budget.

Thomas said the front area by the main City Hall entrance is now designed to be more convenient to visitors and Bay Village municipal employees.

“People can find out now much quicker where what they want is located in the building,” Thomas said. “Previously people would come in and in many cases not (know) where to go in the building. They would come in and look around or have to wander around. This way, they can check at the front desk and find what where what they need is, and head right to it.”

Thomas said it’s a bigger work area for the receptionists, who also help out other departments with their billing and other work. He noted that the partition also gives them some safety from the occasional angry person instead of sitting at a desk in an open area.

“It’s a more convenient environment for our workers as well, both in terms of the work area and safety from any potential problems,” he said.

The upstairs area where the receptionist was previously located will become a public sitting area now with chairs and a sofa, where people with appointments can wait, he said.

Mayor Debbie Sutherland said it’s a good move for the city.

“It’s a more efficient use of the space in the different areas,” she said. “The sitting area will be nice and it’s a much better location for the reception area,” she said.

Thomas said there weren’t any major costs to making the moves.

“Basically, it was moving some computers, desks and people to the new locations,” he said. “We were able to get it done pretty quickly without any problems.”

Thomas said the city is continuing to look at ways it can upgrade City Hall.

“We’re looking at some other potential ways of making the entrance area better, which you’ll probably see later this year,” he said.